Meeting Notes 2015-07-12 WinSIG

We are less than 3 weeks from the release of Windows10.This month we will continue looking at the operating system.Last month we looked at most of the settings. You can watch a video of that meeting athttps://youtu.be/09ayTA9sQbU

Today we will examine the differences between Windows 10 & 8.1. We will also look at many of the included apps in Win10. We will also look at Cortana and see some of the many things that can be done with a virtual assistant.

The full recording of this meeting is below. Under that are the notes used for the meeting.

Windows 10 Changes

Easier enterprise management and better security.

Windows 10 will run on almost everything.

You’re already an expert. Windows 10 is so familiar and easy to use, you’ll feel like an expert.

Rumors have claimed for months that Microsoft plans to merge its three platforms — Windows, Windows RT, and Window Phone — into a single platform.

PC users won’t see the tiled UI unless they loved it in Windows 8/8.1 and activate it, since their machines will boot to the desktop by default.

However, 2-in-1 devices are a different story. both notebooks and tablets, they must be able to gracefully switch between UIs. To make these transitions smoother, Windows 10 includes a new feature called Continuum that automatically detects whether the device is attached to a keyboard and prompts the user to choose either a touch-centric or a keyboard-centric experience

Search from the taskbar.

The Start Menu is back and more customizable than ever. Windows Start Screen

There are six components to the Start Menu: File Explorer, Documents, Settings, Most Used (Apps), the Power button, and the All Apps button. This latter button will pull up every installed app, whether it’s from Windows Store or installed manually by the user. The Live Tile view of the Start Menu can be expanded full-screen, mimicking the Start Screen seen in Windows 8/8.1.

Virtual Desktops

This new feature is ideal for users who need more than one desktop. Virtual desktops give multi-monitor productivity to single-screen users. The button resides next to the Search tool on the taskbar, and when clicked, shows every app open on the current desktop. To add a new desktop, simply click the “+” sign in the bottom right-hand corner. Presumably, users can make as many virtual desktops as they want.

Activated by a button on the task bar, Task View displays all programs that are currently running and works broadly like the “Mission Control” feature in Apple’s OS X.

Floating Modern apps.

In Windows 8 and 8.1, Modern apps run in full-screen mode, but in Windows 10, they behave just like legacy applications.

New snap modes.

Windows 10 beefs up this capability. It allows up to four apps to be snapped together, and users can mix legacy Win32-style apps with new Modern titles.

A shortcut-friendly Command prompt.

Unlike previous versions, the Windows 10 Command prompt will accept keyboard shortcuts such as CTRL+C. Microsoft’s Belfiore admitted that the Command prompt is a niche tool.

Microsoft Edge aka Project Spartan

Windows 10 comes with Microsoft Edge, an all-new browser that’s built to give you a better web experience. Write or type notes directly on webpages and share them with others, read online articles free of distraction, and save your favorite reads for later access.

Charms Bar

For starters, Microsoft has removed the Charms bar for desktop users. In the process, the Search app has been moved to the taskbar (see Cortana) and the Settings panel is now a Modern UI app. There’s no “Devices” app in the new OS, but users can access the “Devices and Printers” section in the Control Panel. The Sharing option is still available, but only through individual apps.

Notifications

This displays the Notifications panel that is normally tucked away to the right of the screen.

Meet Cortana, your truly personal digital assistant

With Cortana enabled, you get instant access to key actions-like making reservations or reading reviews-without leaving the page you’re on. Multi-doing helps you get to “done” faster

In Windows 10, Microsoft pulled the Settings menu from the right side of the screen and created a Modern UI app that can be opened on the desktop. This app is has nine sections: System, Devices, Network & Internet, Personalization, Accounts, Time & Language, Ease of Access, Privacy, and Update & Security. This is different from the Control Panel, which can still be accessed by right-clicking the Start button and choosing Control Panel from the menu.